The Batu MP Chua Tian Chang had put his “artistic talents” to use when his lawyers visited him on Monday to ask about his condition, said the lawyer Latheefa Koya.

Showing her notebook to the crowd that had gathered outside Chua’s office to show solidarity last night, Latheefa said Chua had even included the dimensions of his prison cell and the thickness of his mattress when asked what the cell was like and what amenities it contained.

“We know Tian Chua as a politician. We know Tian Chua as an activist and so on. But many don’t know Tian Chua is an artist, in the sense that he could draw,” she said.

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“When I met him on Monday,” she continued, “he sketched his room – what his room looked like, and you could see a mattress one-and-half inches thick with a small pillow, and that the room is very small.

He even wrote that it measured 15 feet in length and was nine feet in height and wrote in all the details.
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Last night, some 200 supporters gathered outside Chua’s service centre along Jalan Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, to show solidarity for Chua, who will be serving his sentence in Kajang Prison until Oct 27.
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Flipping to another page in her notebook, Latheefa said Chua also drew the items provided to him for his imprisonment when asked about it. These include a scoop, a cup, a toothbrush, a bar of bath soap, a bar of laundry soap, and two sets prison uniforms.

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The drawing sighted by Malaysiakini included rice, fish, carrots and vegetables, and soup or sauce for lunch.

Latheefa said Chua appears to be in good health, high spirits and is taking prison life in his stride although he is slightly fatigued.

“He told me of his plan to learn languages, including Latin and Sanskrit,” he added.

Surendan also said Tian Chua did not appear perturbed of the prospect about spending several weeks behind bars.

“He looked cheerful, he was chatting with us about all sorts of things while waiting for the prison van to arrive,” he said.

Surendran, who is a PKR MP as well, disclosed that Tian Chua also pledged to execute his duties as an elected lawmaker even when in prison.

“He said that he would be observing the next Parliament session (which commences on Oct 23) and would give instructions on issues which arise in his constituency,” he said.

“He may miss the 2018 Budget tabling on Oct 27, but Tian Chua will be able to attend the sitting (which ends by Nov 30),” said the Padang Serai MP.

Surendran said Tian Chua would also attempt to submit parliamentary questions to the August House from prison.
Following the surprise move to withdraw his appeal this morning, PKR vice-president Tian Chua will have to spend the next month in Kajang prison.According to his lawyer N Surendran, the Batu MP would pore over religious books as well as learn Sanskrit and Latin during this period.A photograph provided by the lawyer showed four books – the Quran, Bible, Bhagavad-Gita and another, whose title was not visible.Surendran said Tian Chua is particularly interested in learning the primary liturgical language of Hinduism through the Bhagavad-Gita.”Tian Chua said he would take these books and read all of them when he is in prison. He, however, did not say much beyond that, particularly why he chose these books.
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In a surprising move, PKR vice-president Tian Chua has withdrawn his appeal in the charge brought against him for refusing to comply with a police order to leave the restricted Police Training Centre (Pulapol) in 2012.

This happened in his final appeal in front of a three-member bench led by Justice Mohtarudin Baki.

He discharged his counsel N Surendran, and personally addressed the appellate court by reading out a strongly worded speech.

In the speech, he described his conviction by Session Courts as absurd, as he was charged with trespassing into a place that he had been brought to by force after participating in the Bersih 3 rally in 2012.

“My lords, in my opinion, it is an absurdity to penalise me for my being in the compound of Pulapol, in a situation which I was brought in by force and against my will.

“My participation in Bersih had been part of a very long journey of struggle for a fairer and better Malaysia.

“If the price for changing this repressive and corrupt system is to go to prison, I shall say I am more than ready to accept,” he said from the dock.

PKR vice-president Tian Chua is prepared to go to jail after exhausting his final appeal on a one-month sentence and RM1,000 fine for refusing a police order to leave the restricted Police Training Centre (Pulapol) in 2012.

“(There is) nothing much to worry, I think I’ll be jailed tomorrow.

“I’m ready to go to jail,” Tian Chua told Malaysiakini when contacted ahead of the Court of Appeal’s decision tomorrow.

The Batu MP said he is expecting the Court of Appeal to uphold a High Court’s decision in November last year, which dismissed his initial appeal against the conviction and sentence handed down by the Sessions Court on Jan 23, 2014.
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“If the judge expands the sentence to one year’s jail, I think that is too much, I don’t think it’s going to be so outrageous (one year jail).

“Most probably two months jail but I think the judge will uphold the High Court’s decision…,” Tian Chua said, adding that he is not worried about the possibility of losing his MP status or being barred from contesting in the next general election.
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PKR vice-president Tian Chua has been sentenced to a month’s jail for disobeying police orders to leave the police training centre (Pulapol), a protected area, at 2.30am on April 29, 2012, according to media reports.

Tian Chua, who is also Batu MP, was charged on May 15, 2012 after he allegedly disobeyed police orders to leave Pulapol after his release.